First year surgiversary!

Yeah, it's been a year yesterday that my life changed. It is incredible what had happenned in just a year...  Everything changed in my life. I lost 178 lbs, 24" of waist, 25" at hips, 8" each arm and 13 " at each thigh...I went from a size 28 to a size 6, and 4 XL to small-medium... I learned to exercise regularly, and eat better. I learned a lot about nutrition, calories, carbs, proteins... and calculating portions. I learned that we don't need so much food to live, and that I can still enjoy food even if I eat less... I learn to eat for living, and not living to eat...I also learn a lot about myself, and how I deal with food, emotions, etc...

My health has improved incredibly... no more HBP, no more sleep apnea, less arthrosis pain... I am feeling lighter, can bend to lace my shoes, can climb stairs without being out of breath, I don't have to worry if I'll fit in the chair, if I will be able to enter the turnstile at Canadian Tire ( ! )

I have to learn to live with the new body I got,sometimes I still see myself as I was before .
I realized that the " normal " people acts differently with me than before, particularly if they don't know I was fat. But I am feeling so less judgement from others...

And, sadly, I realized that obese people cannot even have the same health services as other people... 2 years ago, I fell and experienced a big pain in my knee. The doctor I saw didn't even examine me, saying that was because I was too big, and they cannot do anything... Yesterday, I finally had an arthroscopy because I still have knee problem even if I am thinner, and  guess what? I had a meniscus tear, not related to my obesity at all! I also have arthrosis, but really less than the doctor thought. So I suffer 2 years for nothing, because the doctor didn't realize that even an obese person can have a non obesity related problem... Gladly all docs are not like this one...

The next year will be the experience of the maintenance. I hope each month will bring me farther from my past habits and that I will always remember what I went throught to never go back to my old life!

Congratulations Diane!!!!   One year already....    You have come soooo far....   You are a great example to follow for us who didn't get their surgery yet....   I just hope that i'm as succesful as you when my time comes....  You did great!!!!    

Take care

Anne

Thanks a lot Anna, I just followed the guidelines, and exercised and I got great results. Your time will come soon and I am sure you will be succesful too. You have wait so long for this, you will do all you need to succeed!

Thank you Diane for sharing this. It's very interesting to read how you've changed, not just in numbers (and your numbers are awesome, btw!) but also in mentality. Congratulations!

Monica 

Thanks Monica, this journey is a life change in everyway.   One year is over, but I got the rest of my life to work on maintaining!

Hi Diane and congratulations on your fantastic achievement!! You have no idea what a major inspiration you are to me...I feel blessed to have met you and that I have had the opportunity to witness this journey you have been on for the past year.

You have worked very hard and you deserve the rewards!!

I hope that your Dr. will take care of your knee issues now that he has realised that you do have a problem with your knee. The reasons you have stated are the exact reasons that I never went to see a Dr. for my knee problems. I fell badly and never wanted to go see someone for fear that they were going to blame it all on my weight. So I suffer in silence.

We can only hope that the "world" will change and that obese people will be treated with the same respect and dignity that "normal" weighing people are treated by Dr.'s and people in general.

Again Congrats and enjoy the rewards!!!
Hugs!!
Ada

Thanks Ada, and you are right, sometimes we prefer to endure our pains than to go see the doctor and being told it is because of my obesity...  I was so lucky to have a bunch of friends like you on this forum to share my journey, you helped me a lot during this past year, and hope to do the same when your time comes.

Wowsers Diane, has it been a year already for you. How time flies and yet for others on the waiting list, they don,t change fast enough. I am so proud of your efforts and success. You deserve all the inner happiness you can munster up. I wish you must continued success in this journey. Hopefully I'll get back to the city and we can together again. I miss you my friend. You are an inspiration to me and to many others on this board. With you by my side I am more confident that we can do this.

Thanks Brenda, and I too cannot wait to meet you again! You were also an inspiration for me on my journey. I was so glad to have you here to shar. and hope we eill continue to share this maintainance journey. let me know when you'll come back to Montreal, so we can plan a get together!

That is great you have lost a whole person.  Good for you.  I bet you feel 10 times better.  Good luck.  Doris  QC.